China has world's largest, most advanced 5G network: report

China has built the world's largest and most advanced 5G network, with its 5G base stations accounting for over 60 percent of the world's total, according to a report released Thursday at the World Internet Conference (WIC) Wuzhen Summit in the eastern Zhejiang Province.

As of June 2024, China had 3.837 million 5G base station, with a penetration rate of 5G users exceeding 60 percent, according to the China Internet Development Report 2024 released at the summit.

This year's China Internet Development Report, released by the Chinese Academy of Cyberspace Studies (CACS), shows that China has become the world's largest internet market, boasting the highest number of internet and mobile internet users, supported by the world's largest and most advanced network infrastructure.

Furthermore, the advancement of the internet has fueled the expansion of China's digital economy. In 2023, the added value of the core industries of China's digital economy exceeded 12 trillion yuan (about 1.6 trillion U.S. dollars), making up about 10 percent of its GDP, according to the report.

"From 2018 to 2023, the scale of China's cross-border e-commerce grew from about 1 trillion yuan (about 138 billion U.S. dollars) to about 2.4 trillion yuan (about 332 billion U.S. dollars)," said Li Wei, an associate research fellow at the CACS, at a press conference during the Wuzhen Summit. The digital economy's growth is also reflected in the boom of digital culture industries like short dramas, online literature, digital games, and animation, which are becoming increasingly popular both domestically and internationally. "By December 2023, the size of China's online entertainment and media market, featuring long and short videos, live streaming, and audio, was valued at 1.152481 trillion yuan (about 160 billion U.S. dollars). The domestic gaming market generated 302.964 billion yuan (about 42 billion U.S. dollars) in sales. In addition, the global market for Chinese online literature surpassed 4 billion yuan (about 553 million U.S. dollars), attracting 230 million overseas internet users," said Qian Xianliang, deputy director of the CACS.

The four-day 2024 WIC Wuzhen Summit concluded Friday in the water town of Wuzhen in Zhejiang Province, east China.

Themed "Embracing a People-centered and AI-for-good Digital Future -- Building a Community with a Shared Future in Cyberspace," the summit featured 24 sub-forums on topics such as the Global Development Initiative, digital economy and data governance.

China has world's largest, most advanced 5G network: report

A Chinese mainland spokesperson on Wednesday slammed Taiwan leader Lai Ching-te over his latest remarks on cross-Strait relations, accusing him of promoting secessionism and escalating tensions across the Taiwan Strait.

Chen Binhua, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said in a press release that Lai's speech marking his second anniversary in office was "filled with lies and deception, hostility and confrontation."

Chen accused Lai of stubbornly adhering to a secessionist stance in pursuit of "Taiwan independence," while exaggerating the so-called threats from the mainland and intensifying confrontation across the Strait.

Lai played an old trick of advocating the secessionist agenda on one hand and, on the other, calling insincerely for dialogue and exchanges with the mainland, attempting to mislead people in Taiwan and deceive the international community, he said.

Chen said that these common tricks have been seen through by more and more Taiwanese people. Their deceptive and provocative actions will be met with firm opposition from compatriots on both sides and the international community, and are doomed to fail.

Reaffirming the mainland's position on the Taiwan question, Chen said Taiwan has never been a country, is not one now, and will never become one in the future.

He described the Taiwan question as a historical issue left over from a Chinese civil war in the 1940s.

No election result in Taiwan could alter the fact that Taiwan is part of China or sever the historical and legal bonds linking the two sides of the Strait, according to Chen.

The mainland would never allow any person or force to pursue secessionist activities under any pretext, he added.

Calling secessionists "the chief culprit" who undermines cross-Strait peace, Chen said the mainland would continue to uphold the one-China principle and the 1992 Consensus, unite broadly with Taiwan compatriots, combat secessionist activities, and safeguard peace and stability across the Strait.

Central government spokesperson refutes Lai Ching-te's latest remarks, warns against secessionist moves